Euroscepticism in the European Parliament

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Euroscepticism in the European Parliament Cover Euroscepticism.fh11 17/8/11 12:17 P�gina 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CESCES Euroscepticism_ces Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 13/08/11 16:12 16:12 Página Página 1 1 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 2 CREDITS Centre for European Studies Design: RARO S.L. Printed in Brussels by Drukkerij Jo Vandenbulcke Brussels Centre for European Studies Rue du Commerce 20 Brussels, BE – 1000 The Centre for European Studies (CES) is the official think-tank of the European People’s Party (EPP) dedicated to the promotion of Christian democrat, conservative and like-minded political values. For more information please visit: www.thinkingeurope.eu This publication receives funding from the European Parliament. © Centre for European Studies 2011 Photos used in this publication: Centre for European Studies 2011 The European Parliament and the Centre for European Studies assume no responsibility for facts or opinions expressed in this publication or their subsequent use. Sole responsibility lies on the author of this publication. ISBN 978-2-930632-09-4 2 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 3 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism Table of Contents Acknowledgements..............................................................5 The new Euroscepticism and its relevance ......................6 The meaning of the term ‘Euroscepticism’ ......................10 Euroscepticism in Western Europe: exclusive to right-wing populist parties? .........................13 Hard-core Euroscepticism as a distinguishing feature of pan-European, anti-democratic right-wing extremism............................................................................25 Euroscepticism in Eastern Central Europe......................31 European-wide or non-populist Eurosceptical projects .....37 A unifying force? Euroscepticism in the European Parliament....................41 Evaluation and response to Euroscepticism ...................47 About the author.................................................................63 3 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 4 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism 4 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 5 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism Acknowledgements My research on Euroscepticism was greatly inspired by book of the British political scientists Paul Taggart and Aleks Szczerbiak and their ‘Opposing Europe?’ project. I am also thankful to the European Consortium for Political Research, where I chaired a panel on this topic at the 5th General Conference, 10–12 September 2009 in Potsdam. My period as a visiting fellow at the Centre for European Studies (CES) has given me the time, motivation and opportunity to research and produce this paper based on new developments. In the international surroundings provided by my stay in Brussels, I have gained many new ideas through fruitful discussions, critical comments and related conferences, and in general a new approach to this sensitive topic. Therefore, I am thankful to Roland Freudenstein, head of research at CES, and to Bence Bauer, Brenda Furniere, Angelos-Stylianos Chryssogelos, Vít Novotný, Stefaan De Corte and Vesta Ratkevicˇiu¯te˙. I would also like to thank Marvin DuBois and the Communicative English editing team. I hope that the paper will contribute to an awareness of the new Euroscepticism as a phenomenon which can be regarded as a ‘thorn in the sides of the elites’ and consequently as a severe challenge, on the one hand, an opportunity, on the other. 5 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 6 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism The New Euroscepticism and its Relevance The European project has recently reached a critical point, where a discussion on the fundamental objectives of the European Union has entered public debate. Hans-Gert Pöttering, former president of the European Parliament and currently chair of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, recently warned against damaging the foundations of the European Community. Referring to current events in Denmark and Greece, he said, ‘If one starts to destroy the basic common ground in Europe, then everything we have achieved on the path of European integration so far is in danger.’ In fact, two of the greatest achievements of European unity are in serious peril these days: in Greece and other EU countries there is a fight for the survival of the single currency, the euro; and in Denmark, the authorities have begun to carry out passport checks at land borders, in defiance of the Schengen agreement. Addressing Denmark, Pöttering said, ‘I would warn against going down this path.’1 Obviously, the current problems confronting the integrity of the EU are not confined to the domain of economics; the Union is also threatened by a political and perhaps even a cultural crisis. Currently there are considerable concerns about a new Euroscepticism arising in response to recent developments and a general feeling of malaise towards the European project from both national elites and ordinary citizens of 1 Both quotations from the speech on 13 May 2011 at the YEPP Congress in Berlin; available at http://www.kas.de/wf/de/33.22791/, accessed 15 May 2011. 6 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 7 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism Member States. Observers speak about an anti-European virus spreading via a new wave of street protests, especially in Greece and Spain, and among unsatisfied people in general. Even in Germany, the driving force of Europe, the EU is seen as a problem rather than a solution. The reason is rather obvious: some countries of the eurozone are in serious financial distress. For instance, the EU has had to create a European bailout fund for states, such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal and maybe even Italy, that have suffered grave financial problems as a collateral consequence of the financial crisis of 2008. These measures of solidarity, paid for by the financially stronger countries, and the entire construct of the common economic zone with its flagship currency, the euro, are difficult to justify to the populations of the rich, subsidising countries. As a result, European elites are talking of a renewed danger of Euroscepticism. My aim in this paper is to discuss this phenomenon comprehensively, since it is important to distinguish between Euroscepticism as a general mood and Euroscepticism as (part of) a particular political and ideological profile presented by specific parties. For some time now disillusionment has been spreading throughout the Member States. As a 2006 Eurobarometer report (Eurobarometer 2006, 27) determined, only 49% (not even half) of the population welcomes the membership of their respective countries in the EU. This number fluctuates significantly, however, especially among the new Member States, and for obvious reasons depends on the particular definition of Euroscepticism employed. The general trend across Member States is hard to describe because of the differences among them. In spring 2010, many people in Slovenia (71%) and Bulgaria (65%) trusted the EU, while only a few people did in Germany (36%) and the UK (20%). In addition, few citizens of the new Member State Croatia 7 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 8 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism (37%) and the permanently uncertain candidate Turkey (21%) did, either.2 This paper engages with the keyword ‘Euroscepticism’, which is somehow connected with both populism and extremism. The distinction between these two phenomena involves the ‘insider’ role of populists and the ‘outsider’ role of extremists, as related to liberal democracy. The connection to Euroscepticism does not mean that populists have anti-liberal features and goals that are a threat to immigrants, minorities and so on. Populism should not be discredited as unconstitutional from the outset. It does not undermine the cornerstones of the democratic canon of values. Populist ‘anti’ attitudes stem from a kind of goal-oriented opportunism, not from a systemic opposition. An anti-system party refuses to cooperate with the ‘system’ parties and has an agenda of destructive refusal within the political process; an anti-party party desires to integrate into the political process constructively, in its own way, and its fundamental traits include always being prepared to communicate and form coalitions. Populist parties operate not with anti-system feelings, but with anti-party feelings. This paper will develop the following five hypotheses: 1. Euroscepticism is a diffuse and diverse phenomenon that the European People’s Party (EPP) should engage with instead of isolating ‘soft’ Eurosceptic parties. 2. Despite many opportunities, Euroscepticism is not expressed through a common European-wide project. 2 Eurobarometer Source, Spring 2010; available at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleaseAction. do?reference=IP/10/1071, accessed 15 May 2011. 8 CES Euroscepticism_ces 13/08/11 16:12 Página 9 A Thorn in the Side of European Elites: The New Euroscepticism Recently, for example, the Libertas party failed in the 2009 European elections. 3. Euroscepticism can be linked with right-wing populism and extremism, but is also expressed within established parties and the left in terms of populism and extremism. 4. Euroscepticism can be expressed without any extremist or populist background. 5. The success of Euroscepticism is highly variable, as the example of Poland after its EU accession demonstrates. In what follows,
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